Finnish study finds fish oils have no mental benefits

Researchers at the Finnish National Institute for Health and Welfare followed the health records of 12,000 Finnish men and women, many of whom ate a lot of fish, and found neither a high consumption of fish nor omega-3 supplements had any effect on their mental health.

A new Finnish study shows that the fatty acids of fish oils bring no mental benefits as many people tend to believe, even though they have a number of health-promoting benefits, local media reported Sunday.

Contrary to popular belief, the Finnish study also found that men, whose blood contains higher levels of docosahexaenoic acid, a fatty acid found in fish, are more prone to suffer from mental distress.

Researchers said that alcohol consumption, smoking and level of physical activity also played a role in the results.